Balsall Heath Community Governance Review Consultation

Overview

Please note, the deadline for responding to this consultation has been extended to 15 May.

Birmingham City Council would like to hear your views on community governance in Balsall Heath – specifically whether a parish / neighbourhood council should be created in the area.

The proposal to create a parish / neighbourhood council in Balsall Heath has been put to the City Council by local community groups. The City Council’s Cabinet has decided to conduct what is called a “Community Governance Review” (CGR) in response to the proposal, in line with the policy agreed in May 2021.

The City Council is required by law to consult residents and stakeholders as part of the CGR. We are encouraging people to have their say on the proposal by responding to this survey as part of the consultation.

We will consider all responses received in connection with the CGR, alongside other evidence, to evaluate the proposal and make recommendations as to whether a parish / neighbourhood council should be created.

If there is sufficient evidence in favour of creating a parish / neighbourhood council, the City Council’s Cabinet will consider whether a consultative ballot should be held. This ballot is a second round of consultation, and it gives every voter in the area an opportunity to have a final say on the proposal. The Council will do this to ensure there is adequate support for the proposal across the local area.

While we are particularly keen to hear from residents, businesses, and organisations based in the area, this survey is open to anyone who may be interested.

Further information is provided in the documents and via the links at the bottom of this page. We recommend reading this information before responding to this survey.

Written responses to the CGR can also be submitted via email and post:

• Email: NDSU@birmingham.gov.uk – please ensure emails are titled “Balsall Heath Community Governance Review” so it can be directed to the right team
• Post: Balsall Heath Community Governance Review, NDSU, Stirchley Baths Community Hub, 2-4 Bournville Lane, Stirchley, B30 2JT

Why your views matter

All citizens have a right to be consulted on how they are governed and what arrangements are put in place to run their local area. We want to hear your views on this proposal because community governance needs to work for local people. We will consider all responses received when we evaluate the proposal and arrive at recommendations on whether a parish / neighbourhood council should be created.

What happens next

Thank you to all those who responded to this survey.

We will consider all responses received in connection with the CGR, before making recommendations to the City Council’s Cabinet in July 2022 (date subject to change).

If there is sufficient evidence in favour of creating a parish / neighbourhood council, Cabinet will consider whether a consultative ballot on the proposal should be held. The ballot will give electors who live in the proposed parish / neighbourhood council area the chance to vote on whether they support the proposal. The ballot is expected to be carried out in autumn / winter 2022 (date subject to change).